


a flicker in the deep

by vityenka



Series: stardew valley!!! on ice [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game), Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Stardew Valley, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Slash, the mining fic someone said they wanted, unbeta-ed we die like mEN, viktor admiring yuuri, viktor swings his pickaxe from side to side
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25092958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vityenka/pseuds/vityenka
Summary: In the few weeks since Viktor relocated his life to Hasetsu, he’s explored as much of its forests, beaches, and mountains as possible. In the end, the only thing left to venture into are the mines. He’s seen glimpses of Otabek Altin, head of the Adventurer’s Guild, around town. Altin is friends with Yuri Plisetsky, and he’s seen the two of them head off into the mines during his treks in the mountains. Viktor doesn’t think to follow until he sees Lilia Baranovskaya disappear into the cavern.In this installment of the YOI Stardew Valley AU, Viktor and Lilia explore Hasetsu's mines!
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Lilia Baranovskaya & Victor Nikiforov
Series: stardew valley!!! on ice [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816282
Kudos: 20





	a flicker in the deep

**Author's Note:**

> welcome back to the stardew au! i'm actually really happy with this. this fic explores viktor's relationship with lilia and some more viktor/yuuri bonding moments! lots of blushing during that. we love to see it. anyway, i hope ya'll enjoy! let me know what you think in the comments <3
> 
> ps: the title is from the song on the stardew soundtrack, mines (a flicker in the deep)
> 
> pps: please ignore my stupid minecraft joke in the tags

In the few weeks since Viktor relocated his life to Hasetsu, he’s explored as much of its forests, beaches, and mountains as possible. In the end, the only thing left to venture into are the mines. He’s seen glimpses of Otabek Altin, head of the Adventurer’s Guild, around town. Altin is friends with Yuri Plisetsky, and he’s seen the two of them head off into the mines during his treks in the mountains. Viktor doesn’t think to follow until he sees Lilia Baranovskaya disappear into the cavern. 

Lilia Baranovskaya, former prima ballerina for the Bolshoi Ballet. Viktor follows. 

The entry is a wide, open space. A lantern on the far wall flickers, barely casting a glow, though it lights up the heavy metallic lift it’s sitting next to. Lilia slings her pack over her shoulder, strapping it tight around her waist. Viktor watches, warily, from the entrance to the cavern. 

“Viktor,” Lilia says, voice crisp in the otherwise silent space, save for the drip of water somewhere out of sight. Her back is still turned to him. He wonders how she knew he was there. 

“Yes?” asks Viktor, swallowing around his nerves. 

Lilia turns to him then and narrows her eyes. “Do you have a weapon? Or a pickaxe?” Viktor pulls a dagger from his belt, along with the pickaxe he’s been using to take care of rocks on the farm. Lilia nods, satisfied. “Come along, then.” 

The climb down the ladder isn’t long, but Viktor’s skin crawls as the walls close in and the light fades. Lilia is carrying a torch, though it isn’t lit right now. Eventually, his boots hit dirt and he stumbles back from the ladder, Lilia steadying him. “There doesn’t appear to be any slime on this floor. Start over in that corner,” she points, “and break rocks. There should be a ladder somewhere.” They work in silence for over a half hour, Lilia’s torch letting off the barest amount of light. Finally, Viktor cracks apart a stone, collects the copper ore it left behind, and nearly falls down a mine shaft. 

“Oh good,” Lilia says. “You found it.” She descends the mine shaft, unbothered by Viktor’s near death experience. As the darkness closes in once again, he follows her. 

For the next several hours, Lilia and Viktor work to collect materials, steadily filling their packs. Viktor didn’t bring much to carry anything in, so he runs out of space quickly. However, the act of breaking stone and finding treasure appeals to him, and he doesn’t stop until Lilia informs him it will be night, soon. Together, they climb back up to a floor above where there was a lift shaft. As they wait, Lilia examines the resources she has in her pack. “You did well,” she comments without looking up. 

“Thank you for teaching me,” Viktor replies. He fingers the hem of his shirt, sweat-soaked and covered in grime. “Do you do this often?”

“Nearly every day. You can come along again, if you’d like.” The lift dings cheerfully in the gloom, and Lilia lets him step on first. “We can always use more hands to gather materials.” They ride the lift back up in comfortable silence. Viktor wipes his brow and when they step off, Lilia shakes his hand. “Come by on Wednesday and we can continue.” 

For the rest of the day, Viktor works his way through weeding and planting crops, stopping as night falls dark enough he can no longer see, and retreats into the farmhouse to read, fire roaring. A knock comes late, and Viktor opens the door to find Yuuri Katsuki fiddling with his hands as he waits. 

“Hi,” Yuuri murmurs. His eyes are bright, reflecting the soft light from the house. He looks soft, hair falling around his ears and glasses smudged, like he’s been pushing them up his face all day. He’s wearing a navy cable knit sweater with elbow patches, and jeans, cuffed around his ankles. He’s got a soft blush spreading across his cheeks, and Viktor can’t hide his smile or the hitch of his breath. 

“Hi,” he whispers back. “Come in?” Yuuri looks behind him, out at the field, and steps inside. “Do you want tea?” Viktor already sets to putting the kettle on, bookmarking his page and turning to face Yuuri. It’s been a week since they spoke, Viktor apologizing for coming on too strong. They’ve grown closer in that time. 

“Tea would be nice,” Yuuri settles on a stool by the kitchen counter. He tucks his feet over one of the rungs. Viktor swallows, wondering if Yuuri would ever want to be with him like this; sitting together in their kitchen in the low light, talking about their day with kisses spread throughout, Viktor running his hands over Yuuri’s soft hips and up his shirt, to feel the soft, warm skin underneath. “I heard you went into the mines today with Lilia.” He has a gentle smile playing over his features. His lips look so soft. 

“It was good,” Viktor says. “I liked it.” 

“I appreciate you doing it,” Yuuri replies. He twists his hands together. “I used to go with her, but I stopped. I think she misses having someone to work with.” 

“Why did you stop?” Viktor pauses. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer.”

“No,” Yuuri shakes his head. “It’s okay.” He looks away, examining the grain of the butcher-block counter. “I got hurt, and we decided it was best for me to focus on the triplets’ schooling for the time being.” 

“Are you okay now?” Viktor steps closer. 

Yuuri nods quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s been a few months.” He sighs, “I just don’t think I can go back, you know? It wasn’t here, it was in the desert. There’s another mine there, and it’s more dangerous. I fell into a shaft, really far, and wasn’t able to catch my fall. I got attacked. Mila found me.” He takes a shaky breath and digs the heel of his palms into his eyes. “I felt so bad for making everyone worry.” 

“You were hurt, Yuuri,” Viktor places a hand on his arm, rubbing gently. “It isn’t your fault.” 

“I know.” Yuuri smiles weakly. “I’m not trying to scare you, okay? I just want you to be careful. And I’m grateful for your work with Lilia. She likes you.” 

“I like her. I think it’s good for me, too.” He grins at Yuuri’s blush, when he rolls his sleeves up his forearms. “I need to be strong enough to take care of the farm, right?” 

“Y-yeah,” Yuuri coughs and turns his head away, ears red. “Definitely. Um, tea. Is the tea ready?” 

Viktor bites back a laugh and hands Yuuri the box of tea he left at Viktor’s. Their hands brush, and Yuuri flushes even more. “Yeah,” Viktor breathes. “Tea’s ready.” 

On Wednesday, Viktor meets Lilia at the entrance to the mines. “Next time, we’ll meet on the fifteenth floor, yes?” Viktor nods, and together they take the lift down to the fifth floor. Time passes quickly as they break rocks and gather materials. Today, Viktor brought a larger pack and sorts through his materials during a water break. “Vitya,” Lilia says, startling him with the diminutive. “Do you dance?” 

“Um,” Viktor wipes his hands on his pants. “Yes, I learned ballet as a child and continued through adulthood.” 

“In Piter, I assume.” Lilia takes a drink. “I can see it in the way you walk. It is good. You also skated, yes?” 

Viktor swallows and nods. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “I did.” Lilia frowns at him. 

“You don’t anymore?” 

“I got hurt.”

Lilia hums as a response, placing her water bottle back in its pocket on her pack. “I understand,” she says finally. “You miss it?”

Viktor shrugs as he repacks his bag. “Sometimes. I grew up with it, and loved it. It’s hard not to miss it.” 

“I miss dance,” Lilia leads them over to the ladder she found. “I was not hurt, but retirement can be just as painful, if you do not have a life beside the sport.” She turns searching eyes on him, and when she finds whatever she was looking for she speaks. “You did not have a life for many years, did you? Now you do.” She pats his shoulder. “Now come, there are treasures to find. Hasetsu is full of them.” 

When Viktor leaves the mines for the day, Yuuri is waiting outside with beer and a bento box. Together, they hike up the mountain and settle at the top. The sun is beginning to set, the sky painted orange and purple. They share the beer between them, the food, too. 

When Viktor walks back to his farm that night, he can only think yes, Hasetsu is full of treasures. 

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i hope you enjoyed!!! i'm sorry there wasn't any monster-fighting viktor, but i'll save that for later. someone mentioned wanting to see viktor mine, and i just decided to write that since i also wanted to see that. let me know if you want any specific activities for viktor and yuuri! it helps give me inspiration! 
> 
> leave me some comments because i love when ya'll do! it makes my heart buzz like the cave flies in level 1-40 of the mines <3333 see you next level or next fic!!!!


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